Cotton-cleaner.



A. TREESB. COTTON CLEANER.

APPLICATION T'UJBD MAR. 10, 1908.

909,714. Patented Jan. 12, 1909-.

W/TNESSES INVENTO H ATTORNEYS cation, in which simi ALBERT LEROY TREESE, F JENNINGS, OKLAHOMA.

COTTON-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed March 10, 1908. Serial No. 420,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBER'r LEROY TREESE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jennings, in the county of Pawnee and. State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Cotton-Cleaner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to cotton cleaners, and the object of the invention is to produce a device which will operate to clean raw cotton before ginning.

More specifically, the invention relates to devices for his urpose which employ pneumatic means or. advancing the cotton through the machine in treating the same, and the invention concerns itself especially with providing means for ejecting the treated cotton from the device; the invention further provides means for treatin the cotton with the bolt to remove the boil and dirt, and is also adapted for treating the cotton without the boll when it is simply necessary to clean the cotton.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully,

described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifiar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ngures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 2-9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of F 1 near the middle of the device; Fig. 4 is a vertical ection taken near the discharge end, on the lino 41 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a vertical ct-tion through the forward portion of the device, and illustrating the same when adapted for siu'iply cleaning the cotton without the boll.

Referring more particularly to the parts, rcpresents the case of the device, which is adapted to be formed of sheet metal or similar material, in the form of a'barrel or cylinder. The under side of this cylinder is formed with a longitudinally disposed channel 2 into which the refuse from the cotton passes. This channel is inclined so that it constitutes a chute, which delivers to a spout 3 on the under side of the case at the discharge end thereof.

Rotatablv mounted in the barrel 1 there is provided a horizontal shaft 4, which is adapted to be driven by a belt pulley 5. Within the barrel or case 1 there is provided a cylindrical screen 6 which is coaxial with the shaft 4, which extends from the forward wall or head 7 of the device to a point. near the right-hand wall 8, as indicated. The parts beyond the end of the screen and near the right-hand wall 8 constitute a separator 9. At this point upon the shaft 4 there is rigidly mounted a fan 10 having radial blades 11, four in number, as shown in Fig. 4. The space in which this fan revolves is directly over the delivery spout 3 for the refuse, but is separated from the same by an auxiliary screen 12, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. The space in which the fan 10 rotates is out off from the screen 6 by a semi-circularheador diaphragm 13 having a vertical edge 14 disposed on the vertical diameter passing through the shaft 4, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. This diaphragm or head is disposed on the lefthand'side of the separator, and this side of the separator is provided with an inclined delivery spout 15 which projects toward the left as shown. The vanes or blades of the fan 10 are disposed radially as shown, and the diaphragm 13 fits closely against the inner. ed es of these vanes, as indicated in Fig. 1. r s shown also in Fig. 1, the channel or chute 2 communicates directly with the delivery spout- 3, and it also communicates therewith through the interior of the separator 9 and through the screen 12. At the junction of the channel and the spout 3 I provide. a horizontal baffle plate 16, the purppse of which will appear more fully hereina ter.

011 the upper side of the case 1 and at the end thereof remote from the separator 9, there is provided a receiving hopper or receiver 17, the lower edge whereof projects into the interior of the case so as to lie near the wall of the screen 6. One of the longitudinal edges of this hopper is provided with a bar or knife 18, the lowerv edge of which lies adjacent to the wall of the screen. The screen at this point is providedwith an opening so as to permitcotton to be fed into the hopper 17 and pass into the interior of the screen, as will be readily understood.

On the shaft 4 just, under the hopper 17 there is pro ided a rigid fan 20 which is quite close to the lower edge of the knife l8.-

Between the separator U and the fan 20 the shaft 4 is provided with a plurality of radially projecting arms or heaters 25.

The operation of the device will now be described: The spout 3 for the refuse is connected with a suction fan in the well-' liIlQWii manner so that a draft is produced into the device through the hopper 17. In the position of the fan 20 illustrated in Fig.

7 1, the device is adapted for treating cotton with the'boll. It will be observed that in this view the fan 20 isdisp'osed at the right of the hopper, so that. the path of the righthand edges of the blades lies near the righthand wall of the hopper. W hen the cotton with the boll is fed into the hopper 17, the revolving blades of the fan strike the bolls, break them up and separate them from the cotton. The inclination of the blades 23 then operates to produce a draft toward the separator and advances the cotton along the interior of the screen toward the separator,

and the cotton then comes into the path of the heaters 25. In this way the broken bolls and pieces of dirt become removed from the cotton and pass through the screen into the chute 2, where they find their way into the refuse delivery spout 3. The current of air strikingrthe battle plate 16 is divided, so that a portion of it will pass into the separator. In this way the movement of the cotton from the screen into the separator is facilitated. In this connection it should be understood that a draft or current of air is generated downwardly through the screen 12 from the separator into the spout 3. As

the fan 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4, it will eject the cot ton from the separator at the spout 15; In this connection, attention is called to the diaphragm 13, which together with the -opposite wall '8, forms a trap to cut oil the spout 1.3 from the suction draft. The mannor in which this trao is formed is illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be seen from an inspection of this figure that the blades of the fan are closed in between the head 8 and the diaphragm 13 so as to prevent a backward flow of air through the spout 15 toward the spout 3.

When the device is to be used simply for cleaning cotton which is free from bolls, the fan 20 15 attached in the adjusted position shown in Fig. 5; that is, it is near the outer side of the receiver or hopper 17. When in this position, a space is left at the right of the fan through which thecotton can pass into the screen Without being beaten against the knife l8 by the blades of the fan. The "fan in this case simplyproduces'a current of air through the screen, but does not operate as a heater or breaker. It is, of course, essential that the width of the blades 23 of the fan, measured longitudinally of theshaft, should not be as great as the width of the hopper 17, so that the opening illustrated in Fig. 5 at the right of the fan, may be made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described, having a screen, a case surrounding said screen, means for advancing the cotton through said 'screen, heaters acting on the cotton within said screen, means for producing a draft through said screen, a sepzirator formed in said case and having an outlet spout for the cotton, and a fan in said separator, said separator having side walls engaging the blades of said fan so as to -form a trap and prevent an inward suction through said spout.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a a case having a cylindrical screen disposed therein, a shaft extending axially through said screen and having beat ers thereupon, means for forcing an air current through said screen, a separator at. one end of said screen formed in said case, a fan rotating in said separator, a diaphragm cov ering a portion of said fan and engaging the side edges of the blades thereof to forms trap, a delivery spout. for the cotton leading from said separator and adapted to he cut j off by the blades of said fan from continuous pneumatic communication with the interior of said case and a second delivery s out through which an air current may pass .101'33. said case and carrying the refuse. 7 11 3. In a device of the class described, combinatioma case having a separator formed in the end thereof, a fan rotating in sa';:l separator, said separator having an. ejectih, spout -lor the cotton leading therefrom, means; it i a for advancing cotton into said separator, and a diaphragm forming an incomplete wall for said separator and engaging the side ed; r of said fan so as to form a trap cutting (is. said spout pneumatically from the interior of said case.

4. In a device of the class described. in combination, a case having a substantially cylindrical screen mounted therein, a shaft rotatably mounted in said screen and having a plurality of heaters, a separator formed at one end of said case, a second screen at said separator, said case having an outlet opening for the refuse near said latter screen, and means for inducing an air current through said 0 lindrical screen, said second screen said hopper whereby said blades may break aifording means for inducing a current from thecotton bolls fed through sald hopper and said first screen into said separator to deliver means for adjusting the position of said fan the cotton thereto. I under said hopper.

5.: In a device of the class described, in 9'. In a device of the class described, 1n combination, a case having a substantiall combination, a case, a cylindrical screen cylindrical screen mounted therein, a sha rotatably mounted in said screen and having 1 within said screen and having heaters wlthm a plurality of heaters, a separator formed at i said screen, said case having a receiving hopone end of said case, a second screen at said j per, a fan'attached to said shaft under said separator, saidcase having an outlet opening receiving hopper, said fan having blades for the refuse near 'said latter screen, means i with edges passin near the lower edge of for inducing an air current through said 3 said hopper where y said blades may break cylindrical screen, said second screen aflord the cotton bolls fed through said ho per mg means for inducing a current from said first screen into said separator to deliver the cotton thereto, said cas being in communication with said outlet openin independently of said second screen,and a ba e plate tending l to direct the air current into sa d separator. 6. In a device ofthe class described, in combination, a c'ase.ha'ving a substantially cylindrical screen mounted therein, a shaft" disposed axially within said screen and having heaters, a separator formed in the end of said case beyond said screen, a fan rotating in said se arator and hav' radially disposed bla es,'a diaphragm orming-an incomplete wall cutting off a portion of the inte'rior of said separator from said screen, a

delivery s'poutfor the cotton leading from said separator adjacent to said diaphra m, a second screen formed in the wall of sai separator, a delivery spout in said case for the refuse near said second screen, and means for inducing an air current through said screen toward said separator.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a case, a cylindrical screen mounted therein, a shaft. mounted axially Within said screen and having beaters within said screen, said case having a receiving hop= per, and a fan attachedto said shaft under within said screen and having heaters within said screen, said case having a receiving hopper, a fan attached to said shaft under said 1 receiving hopper, said fan having blades with edges passing near the lower edge of I i and means for adjusting the osition o sai l'fan under said hopper, sai fan afiordi l means for inducing an air current throng l said screen.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a case having a cylindrical screen mounted therein, a shaft rotatably mounted in said screen and having heaters. said case having a hopper, a knife attached ing blades of less width than said hop r, measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said screen, t-he outer edges of said blades cotton olls against the same.

11-. Ina device of the class described,,in

per atone end thereof on the upper si e and lower. side and at the other end thereof, a separator formed in said case oversaid dewithin said case, a shaft rotatably' mounted in-sa1d case coaxially with said screen and under said hopper, a second fan disposed in said separator, a diaphragm cutting off a portion of said separator from said screen, and a second sp'outfor the cotton formed in said case adjacent to said diaphragm and at said separator, said case having a longitudinal channel under said screen receiving the refuse from the cotton andcommunicating with said last named delivery spout.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presen'ce of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT LEROY TREESE.

Witnesses:

F. ADAMS, R. ADAMS.

at the lower edge of said hopper, a fan hav-' livery spout, a cylindrical screen disposed "mounted therein, a shaft mounted axially gassing .near' the knife to break the combination, a case having a receivin hopaving a delivery spout for. the refuse onthe having baters,a fan mounted on said shaft 

